Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Liberals stand by Israel: Ignatieff
Leader responds to flyer critical of party's record
The Liberal leader responded to the flyer, which arrived in some Winnipeg South Centre mailboxes earlier this week, after a speech to about 500 members of the party faithful at the Delta Winnipeg hotel Wednesday evening.
"The Liberal party has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the state of Israel since 1948 and to assert otherwise is outrageous," he said. "They're sending this into ridings with Jewish communities, they're sending it into ridings represented by MPs who happen to be Jewish and they're making outrageous allegations about the party."
The two-page promotional piece chastises Ignatieff for past statements and links the Liberals to anti-Semitic positions. It also accuses the Liberals of participating in a United Nations anti-racism conference that degenerated into an anti-Israeli "hatefest" and being soft on Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Conservatives also question Ignatieff's support for Israel, referring to comments the Liberal leader made following the 2006 war in Lebanon accusing Israel of war crimes.
Winnipeg South Centre MP Anita Neville, who is Jewish, said the flyer is a scurrilous misrepresentation of the facts.
"I find it demeaning of a government and of a prime minister. It's part of this 'divide and conquer', narrow-edged politics that he does," said Neville.
"I'm offended by it personally and collectively on behalf of the Liberal party. It is full of blatant misinformation and lies."
Ignatieff said nobody can question Neville's dedication to Israel.
"(The Conservatives) turn everything into a partisan issue. This is the politics of division. It's wedge and jam and I'm fed up with it," he said.
The flyer, which features two photos of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, reads, "Unfortunately, Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals continue to send confusing messages when it comes to key issues of concern to Jewish-Canadians."
Charleswood MP Steven Fletcher defended the flyer, saying it simply outlines positions taken by a party whose support for Israel has been less that forthright.
"What we're seeing here is the Liberals complaining that the truth hurts," said Fletcher. "I think Anita doesn't want everyone to be reminded where her party stands."
The flyer is known as a "10 percenter" which refers to parliamentary rules that allow MPs to send flyers into any other riding as long as no more than 10 per cent of the households get one. The Tories have used the taxpayer-funded flyers widely to criticize the Liberals.
The most recent flyer went to three ridings besides Neville's, two in Montreal and one in Toronto. It came from the office of London, Ont., MP Joe Preston.
Neville's riding has been the target of several 10 percenters in recent years. The Tories have tried several times to unseat her.
Hart Mallin, a long-standing member of Winnipeg's Jewish community who ran unsuccessfully for the Tory nomination in Neville's riding earlier this year, said he received the flyer in his mailbox Wednesday afternoon. He has some reservations about his party's approach.
He said the flyer was factually correct but needlessly divisive and simplified complex situations.
"I applaud the direct support for human rights exemplified by Canada's forthright policies under the Harper government that show an understanding of the important role the state of Israel continues to play as an example of a democracy in action," said Mallin. "But I cannot endorse separating any ethnic or religious group in order to leverage political support."
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 19, 2009 A4
-
WFP Hockey
Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
-
Editor's Bulletin
Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
-
Winnipeg Jets
All things NHL on our Jets landing page
-
Twitter
Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
-
News Cafe
Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
-
Facebook Fanpage
Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
Poll
Most Popular
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- RCMP receptionist told Stobbe wife was dead
- Search is on for man seen leaving the scene where two Alberta Mounties were shot
- City family donates $1 million for endowed research chair in cardiology
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- Census 2011 : Immigrant influx boosts Manitoban population
- Should the federal government be spending $7.5 million on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?
- Slain woman appears before jury on video
- CNN's Roland Martin suspended for comments that sparked protest by gays
- Driver of van in Ontario crash that killed 11 ran stop sign, police say
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Three winning tickets sold for Friday's $50 million Lotto Max jackpot
- Woman sexually assaulted during noon-hour in Exchange District
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Eleven people killed after truck hits van in southwestern Ontario
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Tactical squad storms St. Vital house
- Restaurant Dubrovnik may be closed for good
- Do you smoke marijuana?
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- George Clooney's prank could end Pitt's career
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Tina Maze strips down to her sports bra to send out underwear message: 'Not your business'
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Two children, two women die in fire
- Kate Beckinsale's weight fears over Underworld catsuit
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- OMG! Candy kings back at it
- Task force to review 2011 flood
- Winnipeg software company ranked top employer
- Tassimo brewers and espresso packages recalled amid rupture, burn concerns
- Lesson about war, power told with Shaw's comic touch
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Easy, economical, healthy soup
- Original Joe's, Elephant & Castle expanding
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Northern fishing lodge destroyed by fire
- Police target drivers talking on cellphones, texting
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Obama torn by conflicting allies
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Time, it appears, is on Assad's side
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Paddler Starkell was modern-day voyageur
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Canadian woman 'badly injured' in Mexico, local media report apparent beating
- Winnipeg mother watches as car stolen with child inside
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Local shooting spoofed on SNL
- The cost of calories: It's expensive to eat healthily


You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.